The best Android Wear smartwatches: LG, Tag Heuer, Huawei, Asus, Polar and more

Choosing the best Android Wear smartwatch is no easy task. There's an ever-expanding range of Android Wear wearables on sale, from a whole host of different brands.

Android Wear 2.0 is now running at full speed, with smartwatches from the likes of Tag Heuer, Montblanc, ZTE, Asus, Huawei and Fossil rocking the updated OS, and most older watches now running the new platform too. Plus, there are also new watches from fashion-focused brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Louis Vuitton, Hugo Boss and Emporio Armani set to drop soon.

If you're looking to get a Google-powered smartwatch on your wrist sooner rather than later though, here are all the juicy details on the top Android Wear smartwatches available now.

Best Wear watch 2017: LG Watch Sport

The flag-carrier for Android Wear 2.0, the LG Watch Sport is the undisputed king of the Wear world right now. It taps into the rich feature set of Google's updated smartwatch platform and doesn't disappoint.

The 1.38-inch, 480 x 480 P-OLED display is, pixel for pixel (348ppi), the best Wear display so far. It's also got the most oomph in the engine room, with a 1.1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor and 768MB of RAM. What that means in the real world is a super snappy Wear experience with the new standalone apps loading without a stutter.

But it's the inclusion of the GPS / NFC / LTE connectivity trio that really sets it apart. Thanks to that holy trinity, it's the first Android Wear smartwatch that really could consider itself a genuine smartphone replacement. It's the best all-rounder from the Google stable so far, and the most likely to worry the bods over in Cupertino. The Huawei Watch 2 and the latest Tag smartwatch (below) also boast this level of connectivity, but the LG Watch Sport remains our top pick.

Best Wear watch if money's no object: Tag Heuer Connected Modular 45

The leading luxury smartwatch, this 'Swiss Made' 45mm beauty is available with titanium, ceramic and 18K rose gold finishes and will provide you with a modular design, which essentially means you're free to switch out the electronic watch with a traditional mechanical Tag module such as the Calibre 5 or the chronograph Tourbillon Heuer 02-T. Mixing up the lugs, straps and buckle is also an option, with 56 different versions available at launch.

There's an Intel Atom Z34XX processor powering performance, 4GB of storage memory and a battery life of around 24 hours. There's also built-in Wi-Fi and GPS to give it standalone smarts, NFC to let you make payments from the wrist and water resistance up to 50 metres.

And if that's not for you, there's also the Louis Vuitton Tambour Horizon, which doesn't include a lot of the bells and whistles. You won't find GPS or NFC payment support here, but you will find an expertly crafted luxury watch that perfectly matches your Louis Vuitton luggage. If you do want Android Pay, and something a bit less expensive than Louis Vuitton's, there's also the Movado Connect to

Best Wear watch for running: Polar M600

With the Moto 360 Sport we finally had an Android Wear smartwatch to rival the Sony SmartWatch 3's GPS skills, but it's Polar's M600 that is now easily the best option for runners, despite competition from the likes of the New Balance RunIQ.

Your M600 syncs directly to Polar Flow, and not only will your smartphone be able to display all your stats, but all that data is synced to the cloud so you can dig deeper using the Flow desktop client or the browser based version. What's more, if you don't trust the optical heart rate monitor on the M600 (you really should though), you can pair it with a dedicated chest strap – and it doesn't even have to be a Polar one.

Best value Wear watch: ZTE Quartz

The ZTE Quartz, the Chinese company's first bash at Wear, is all about affordability. And although that means some compromises, it still offers the Android Wear 2.0 experience along with a data connection (3G not 4G), all for less than $200.

With a 46mm diameter and 14.5mm thickness it's a bit of a chunky-monkey, but the 1.4-inch AMOLED display, with a 400 x 400 resolution, certainly doesn't lack vibrancy.

ZTE has compromised to get the Quartz to its price point. It doesn't come with a heart rate monitor but GPS does make it in. There's no NFC though, so no Android Pay fun, unfortunately.

Best Wear watch for women: Michael Kors Access

The Michael Kors Access series consists of two styles: the Bradshaw Access and Dylan Access, based on bestselling women's and men's Michael Kors watches. The Bradshaw is the more female-friendly version, but is chunky enough to look good on a man's wrist too. At 14mm thick and weighing more than 110g, it is on the larger, weightier end of watches aimed at women.

For extra style points you get a collection of of 10 bespoke Michael Kors branded faux-analogue and faux-digital watch faces, and you can set up day and night modes too.

A big tick for the Michael Kors Access is that it boasts the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 chip as well, so it more than holds its own on the performance side.

Top Android Wear watch for basics: Asus ZenWatch 3

The Asus ZenWatch 3 is a well-rounded smartwatch that's all about style, and it will be a much better device once it gets the Android Wear 2.0 update. Until then, you're still looking at a classy watch with some nice custom twists from Asus.

Battery life on the ZenWatch 3 also isn't bad by smartwatch standards. We managed to squeeze a little over two days on average, but that's with moderate, mostly passive use; mainly just checking notifications from time to time.

Top Wear watch for outdoor adventures: Casio Pro Trek Smart WSD-F20

The iconic Japanese watchmaker has been quick to give us a successor to the WSD-F10 and this time around it has included GPS – the big omission from the original.

What hasn't changed though is that rugged outdoor look, nor its rugged, outdoor adventure credentials. It's water resistant to 50 metres, and it's been built to military standards (MIL-STD-810). The onboard GPS also unlocks more outdoor-focused features, including GPS-based watch faces (think altitude and compass widgets).

Casio has a bunch of its own apps designed for adventurers, as well as third-party apps such as ViewRanger, MyRadar and Yamap, and a monochrome mode is available for when you're running low on battery, giving you a month's life if you're just using it in normal watch mode.

Most discreet Wear watch: Huawei Watch

When we first reviewed the original Huawei Watch, we called it the slickest looking Android Wear smartwatch but lamented that those good looks came at a premium.

Fast forward 18 months or so and, with its successor now on sale, there are bargains to be had when buying the original model, which we think still beats out its successor in the style-stakes – we really wish the Huawei Watch 2 had kept to this simple design. In terms of actually looking like a watch, nothing comes close to the Huawei Watch.

The AMOLED display is a 1.4-inch, 400 x 400 screen with a 286ppi count. That was (before the LG Watch Sport came along) the highest on any Android Wear device and Huawei's effort is made all the more impressive thanks to a 10,000:1 contrast ratio. Side by side with the smaller
Moto 360 2 – its closest rival in terms of aesthetics – it's clearly a better display. Not just because it offers genuine 360-degree visuals, but because everything just looks sharper.

Have a look at our
Huawei Watch review to see why you shouldn't write off this old timer just yet.

So, while the smartwatches detailed above are the ones we consider to be the best currently on sale, it may be worth doing some reading around to see what's still to come before making your choice and handing over your cash.

47 Comments

Ordered and waited for the Zenwatch. Arrived and less than 24 hrs later it has a charging problem. Contacted Asus and they offered No help or solution.Arrogant people ! Will not replace and no one has a replacement. B.S. ! Avoid the P.O.S. company. They don't care about customers! They are Incredibly Awful ! You get what you pay for. Cheap watch at a cheap price and left on a deserted Island if you need help.

"Best smartwatch for women" ... seriously? That header is not doing any favors for your blog. Any watch on this list is the "best" smartwatch for a woman if she decides to buy it. I wear an LG myself. If what you're attempting to convey is "thinnest" smartwatch or "most fashionable" then you should call it that. FFS, do you even have any women on staff over there?

Hi viachristina, just to add to this - I helped with the categories for this list. We're not trying to offend anyone but we a) know a lot of Wareable's readers are men and b) are trying to provide at a glance advice for readers to then explore individual reviews themselves. It's simply a fact that a lot of the smartwatches here will not appeal to women. I agree that the LG is technically the best, for instance, but I wouldn't wear it myself.

The writers don't know sh*t. The world is changing and yes, "for men" & "for women" no longer applies as in the past. For exmple do you know how many gamer girls choose to conceal the fact they're women in gaming forums or MMRPGs, just because their opinions are only valid while insecure/secretly-homo/whatever men think they are men too? It's perfectly normal that women reading BS being ignorantly perpetuated against the current should feel offended. Viachristina is absolutely right, and her feelings on this subject are legit. It's funny to see how some of the replies she got by some "men" fall in line with those of my example... I guess trying to look masculine with the macho act actually reveals the opposite. Oops.

I'm not interested in wearing a chunky 'manstyle' watch. Did you remove the 'best for women' category? I don't know why you would care what gamers think.... they are (thankfully for the productivity of the human race) .000000000001% of the population. I'm not walking into a business meeting in Dubai or Seoul with a giant man watch rock on my wrist. Any watch that looks like something men wore in the 90s is not going to appeal to women. More women friendly choices please!!

Absolutely 100% relevant. Most women have different desires and fashion focuses than men. Deal with it, all of you overcompensating & obsolete feminists. Stop trying to make the sexes the same... THEY ARE NOT and there is nothing wrong with such

Totally agree with all the commenters on here about the difference between men and women's watches. I am on the lookout for a smartwatch but unfortunately any that I like for functionality are too chunky and masculine. Would look totally odd on my wrist!! As I was doing my research I had the same reoccurring thought... "what do they not design them for female users". So don't blame the author, blame the designers and makers of the watches!

I hate this sexist diatribe! It's what has made feminism a laughing stock!

Viachristina may have a point. There are so many fat and ugly women out there nowadays they probably need a large watch. Some women in western Sydney could wear Big Ben on their wrists and deem it too small! I agree with the majority of replies to viachristina, get your head in, neuter your own sex and let males be males.

umm, the watch is intended for women's tastes, and it's the best in that category. So it makes perfect sense that they caption it as "the best smartwatch for women". To hide such an appropriate label would be misleading and would diminish the marketing of the product. If you find the label offensive, then you need to take your bigoted self back to your safe space and stfu!

If you attribute "thinnest" or "most fashionable" to the word "women", then you literally have ZERO argument. You're trying to push some PC agenda by demoralizing the idea in associating it with a stereotype on your own. Its laughable and makes you look extremely ridiculous. It's apparent that you completely agree with the fact that something small and stylish is FOR WOMEN.

It's a freaking watch. Only a sexist women would turn it into an issue. You have the power to move on if you don't like their vocabulary...you just perpetuate ignorance. Better change bathroom signs, clothes, bras, shoes etc. ,as long as you're at it. Ridiculous.

I got the Samsung Gear Live and it works pretty damn well. Not sure about the 24hrs of battery life though, as claimed by the article. I have everything turned on with mine, plus I sideloaded a bunch of stuff and i get well over 48hrs on a single charge. I do not use the 'always on' watch face but it turns itself on every time I look at it. I also don't wear it to bed as that's a bit of a waste.

ive got a moto360! i think its the most fasionable and trendiest Smartwatch out there. I dont personally like the android wear OS though, its very uncool :) but i know the guys at google would be working their socks off to get ready for a major battle :P

I have a Moto 360 and I like it but was hoping for more features. Not being able to make a call through the watch is a let down, to be honest. And the vibration seems a little low, I miss some of the notifications...Also, framerate seems a little choppy at time, even with the last updates. I demanded more.

Does anyone know if there is an android wear watch planned that has GPS, storage (4gb), and decent health tracking including a heart rate monitor? I find many that have 2 of the 3, but none with all three (except the Gear S, but I don't want yet another app store).

I have the Samsung Gear Live - it's not a bad watch and have been happy with it. The charger is terrible and broke after about 3 months I got a friend to 3D print a custom charger dock off thingiverse and works great, though shouldn't have to do that. Interchangeable bands would be good. Battery life may get two days if switch if off at night. Visibility in sun light is very poor, but overall am happy with it and wouldn't bother upgrading until it maybe breaks. Love answering the phone or checking messages via the watch. I almost never use most of the apps on the watch.

Would love to try on either pebble time round or asus zen 2 before I decide which one to buy but which shops in the UK are likely to stock them. It's a lot of money to fork out to buy solely on a photo, you do really need to be able to try them on.

I currently have a Sony Smartwatch 3 and agree with this article that it's the best Android Wear watch currently available. I would love to upgrade to the Moto 360 Sport when that's available, since it will also have a built in GPS, but I can't myself buying one until they get rid of that flat tyre at the bottom! The reported reason they have it is for the ambient light sensor, but surely they can put that on the side ? All the other makers of round smart watches seem to manage it.

LG G watch : Great watch, but after 2.5 weeks of ownership, my watch has four chips on the edges of the glass from just some light taps where it nicked the edge of a doorway and my desk. If you look at the watch its a poor design. The glass is high and at the top edge make it easy to happen. I've never had a watch do this. I even have a lense protector on it. Watch is great other than that. The Chinese $15 watch was tougher! Im gonna opt for the LG R watch ASAP.

As the Internet of Things grows and our devices become more and more connected, Apps for Wearable tech like the Watch and Android Wear will rise in popularity.The trick behind making the perfect app for Android Wear is focusing on what Wearable tech has to offer. Apps that succeeds on Wearable devices are apps that use the platform to increase the usability of their mobile phone app. See more at:http://bit.ly/29EdEaW

I bought a zgpax s8 full Android Smartwatch from China for $100. It came with a camera that points away from the face, which I think is so stupid, basically a waste. I was able to install Facebook messenger and make video calls but I had to aim the camera at a mirror lol. If I was designing a smartwatch it would have minimum 1 gig of RAM 16 gig storage microSD card slot dual cameras, quad core processor. Basically all the same features as a smartphone. We all know, it can be done... Also, I would make sure there are three versions. One that is similar in size and appearance to the Gear S3 classic. The second one would have a similar screen size to the latest Apple watch. And the third one would be a larger screen size but similar to the Gear S. I think the gear s could have been better with video chat capability and of course including the camera that faces you.

Hi, I'm looking for a budget smartwatch and both the pebble and the Sony watch look appealing to me (though I much, much prefer rounded displays like the Gear V2). I wanted to ask if the two smartwatches I just mentioned can link to your phone and allow you to control your google assistant with them?

I like to listen to music on soundcloud as I drive and it's annoying to have to pick up my phone and say "Okay Google, next song" (not to mention dangerous!). I'd love to be able to say it to my watch and have that happen.

Aside from that I'm also looking for the watch to double as a fitness tracker but that's about it as far as my requirements go. If there's a fitness band that does the 'control google assistant' functions that I'll happily go for that.

I think maybe my comment got eaten up. If someone here can help me, I'm a newb when it comes to smartwatches, but I'm looking for a budget watch that I can use to voice operate Google Assistant on my phone. I like to listen to music as I drive connected via aux, and it's annoying and dangerous to pick up my phone and speak "Okay Google, Next Song" into it.

Aside from that I'm looking for it to also double as a fitness tracker. In fact if there's a fitness tracker that can do the remote control of google assistant function I'd jump on it!

I like to read through comment just to see peoples preference, but this is rediculous! Within the first couple comments, you guys are complaining and whinning about 'his watch' or' for women' watches, GROW UP! Its been like that for YEARS!!! Guys or girls can wear either, just the 'for woman' ones are more likely thinner or Small since females typically have Small wrists/features! Who knew???

For those that wrote this article, it helped me to choose, for those that are complaining and whatnot, this made me feel sorry for you. Stop being over sensitive, and pick a stupid watch! Its a watch! Its just a watch! Geeze! GROW UP! STOP CRYING OVER TERMS THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR YEARS! You say... "oh its casual sexism...." SHUT UP! Its a description, to help people decide BUT NOT decide for them. Thats all it is. You are all rediculous! STOP being cry babies and maybe grow a pair....oops im being sexist...maybe try this... BE CONFIDENT IN WHO YOU ARE WITHOUT ATTACKING OTHERS